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Reviews
Funny People (2009)
Sorry excuse for a movie
While "Funny People" includes some hilarious bits and some top-notch comic acting from the members of director Judd Apatow's family, it is simply one more terribly mediocre excuse for a movie -- and one that's at least 30 minutes too long.
Now I've really enjoyed some Mr. Apatow's other films -- "Superbad," "40 Year Old Virgin," and especially "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" -- but "Funny People" isn't in their class. I don't have any problem with the more serious theme in "Funny People," but it's time that Judd Apatow grew up. It just wasn't well written or directed. While the supporting cast was excellent -- especially Apatow's wife and daughters -- most of the acting was pretty weak, even for a "comedy." Sadly Adam Sandler continues to play Adam Sandler and Seth Rogan plays Seth Rogan. Enough already. They all need to grow up.
But its especially Mr. Apatow who needs to act his age. There's no need for the cheap, vulgar language throughout the film. Maybe he intended it as a parody of jerks in Hollywood, but you'd never know it. I guess there's an audience for this childish junk, but it's a shame that Mr. Apatow continues to cater to the idiots in his audience. Mr. Apatow clearly is a talented director and writer, but he continues to take the easy way out by using shock and rock language rather than humor based on cleverness. There's nothing clever about this movie. You never care any character in it. Sandler's condition evokes no tears int he viewer -- not for his illness and certainly not from laughing too hard. It's just not that funny, and it's certainly not a film that engages the audience with characters or plot you care about.
For funny and characters that engage you, see (500) Days of Summer. Now that's a genuinely hilarious and well-produced film that shows you don't have to depict jerks unable to speak in a civil tongue to entertain and bust your guts laughing.
The Dish (2000)
40 Years Ago Today
It just seemed appropriate to chime in on "The Dish" today, July 20, 2009. It was 40 years ago today that the climax of this film actually happened. It's amazing that with all the hoopla going on, that nobody in the media has remembered the enchanting tale of "The Dish" and the vital role this small team of folk in Parkes, Australia, who enabled the world to witness man landing on the moon. What a memory and what a shame that it's being ignored. I would love to hear from Cliff and the boys today -- to have them share their memories 40 years later of their role in this historic event.
Out of sheep farms great things come.
Zwartboek (2006)
So Compellingly Good I Saw It Twice in a Week
It's hard to overstate what a superb film "Black Book" is. Thanks to the excellent reviews the Chicago papers gave it, I sauntered off to see it without my wife who foolishly dismissed it as "another Holocaust film" (that's as off-base as calling "Freedom Writers" "another school teacher inspirational film). After being blown away by "Black Book," it was easy to persuade my wife to see it a week later -- and she too was blown away. You're best off not knowing much of the plot -- this film takes twists and turns that amaze and astound. The less you know about it, the better. Let's just say that the writing, plotting, direction, and acting are all top notch -- better than any other film I've seen all year. No scene is wasted. "Black Book" is one of those films where something that happens early on comes back as an important plot point later in the film. So while you're enjoying this wild roller-coaster emotional ride, pay attention to the details and what people say -- because not a word is wasted.
"Black Book" is simply film making at its best. There are some darn good reasons that "Black Book" is still playing in several Chicago theaters nearly 4 months after its release.
Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990)
Best Film of the Year
Not kidding. Gremlins 2 was the best reviewed film of the year according to Premier Magazine, averaging 3 1/2 stars. To really appreciate the film, you've got to have a wild sense of humor and be a real movie lover with a good knowledge of filmdom -- otherwise you'll miss all the homages to great films of the past. I got to meet Director Joe Dante at the Chicago Film Festival's showing of "Gremlins 2" and his incredibly warm film "Matinee" where he confirmed that he intended Gremlins 2 to be the sequel to end all sequels. The studio required him to make a sequel to the more financially -- but less artistically -- successful "Gremlins" before it would finance any other films by Dante. The result gives us Tony Randall in his finest role as the intellectual Gremlin and Robert Picardo in his best pre-"Star Trek: Voyager" performance. Christopher Lee wonderfully satirizes his horror film roles of the past as Donald Trump and Ted Turner take it on the chin with John Glovers parody as Daniel Clamp. And who can ever forget the Canadian restaurant scene? Seriously, this is one incredibly entertaining film that requires multiple showings to catch everything that's going on.